Air duct construction



Nov. 17, 1942. A. M. MILHONE 2,302,565

AIR DUCT CONSTRUCTION Filed March 13, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ZSnventor ANDREW M-MILHONL d, 5 B5 7 El la l8 Gttome'g Nov. 17, 1942. A,- M ILHQNE 2,302,565

AIR DUCT CONSTRUCTION Filed March 13, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I 3110mm:

171 .10. ANDREW M.MILHONE.

Patented Nov. 17, 1942 r' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AIR DUCT CONSTRUCTION Andrew M. Milhone, Omaha, Nebr.

Application March 13, 1941, Serial No. 383,073

1 Claim.

This invention relates to an improvement in air ducts used in buildings for a control of hot and cold air circulation.

One object in view is to provide air ducts of such form and arrangement of parts that they may be installed in buildings more conveniently and at less expense of time and labor than ordinary. Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear in detail hereinafter.

The invention consists of the new and useful construction, combination and arrangement of parts as described herein and claimed, and as shown in the accompanying drawings, it being understood that I may make changes in form, size, proportions of parts and minor details of construction, said changes being Within the scope of the invention as claimed.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a view of the air duct in transverse section on line of Fig. 5, a floor joist being added.

Figs. 2 and 3 illustrate a pair of opposed housing strips in transverse section, forming the sides of the air duct, and Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the air duct.

Fig. 5 is a broken away top plan view showing a part of air duct in angular form.

Fig. 6 is a top plan view of a single housing strip showing the upper and lower flanges thereof, said strip being shown in angular form.

Fig. '7 is a view in transverse section of a splicing plate of S-shape for connecting the adjacent ends of housing-plates. Fig. 8 is a view of an upper housing-plate in transverse section.

Fig. 9 is a view in transverse section of a lower housing-plate. Fig. 10 is a View in side elevation of part of the air duct. Fig. 11 is a sectional detail relating to Fig. 5 showing a reduced terminal of the air duct.

Referring now to the drawings for a more particular description, the air duct consists, in part, of an upper housing-plate l I, a lower housingplate l2 of lesser width than the plate ll, these plates being generally of rectangular form in plan. Numeral l3 indicates a coupling device of S-shape in cross-section which is generally used for splicing or connecting the adjacent ends of sheet metal, and therefore the elongated plates II and 12 may have any suitable lengths as required.

Numerals l4 and I 5 indicate a pair of elongated, metallic housing-strips of suitable lengths, each being provided at its upper edge with an outwardly projecting loop Hi to provide recesses H for receiving edge-portions of the plate I I, said strips also being provided at their lower edges with inwardly projecting loops l8 and inwardly projecting flanges l9 to form the opposed pair of recesses 20.

According to the construction as described, the plates II and I2 may be conveniently placed in operative position, the recesses l1 receiving the plate II, and the recesses 20 receiving the plate l2, and after these parts have been assembled, screws 2| may be used for preventing any sliding movements relative to each other, said screws 2| extending through the loops I8 and plate l2 and threaded in the inwardly projecting flanges l9 for this purpose.

One of the advantages to be derived by use of the invention is the fact that these elongated air ducts may be conveniently produced in angular forms. Since the pair of housing-strips I4 and I5 may be readily bent laterally to angular positions to conform and fit the edges of the plates II and I2 after the latter have been prepared.

For instance, obstructions and permanent fixtures in buildings often require that the air ducts leading from a heating furnace must be of angular form, in plan, and as best shown in Figs. 5 and 6 of the drawings, gussets 22 of the loops l8 and I8 of the strips are provided at required intervals to permit lateral bending of said strips so that said loops will engage the edges of the plates H and I2 after the latter have been cut to said angular form.

Since the air ducts in buildings must often be built around obstructions it is believed that the flexible features now presented are of great advantage.

Fig. 1 of the drawings illustrates one of the advantages in the use of the upper pair of loops It. By use of screws or other keepers 23 which traverse said loops the air duct is secured to floor joists 24, thereby avoiding the objectionable framework supports which have generally been used for supporting air ducts.

It is believed that the invention includes an important feature relating to the reduction in size or areas of the ducts at their terminals.

In the matter of heating buildings, since the smaller rooms require lesser degrees of heat than the larger rooms, the terminal part 25 leading to a small room is reduced in size as shown, and for this purpose the only changes required is that the housing-strips l4 and [5 are of lesser width than the width of the other parts thereof.

It will be appreciated that this reduction may be readily and effectively accomplished without the use of extra joints, and therefore leakage may be avoided.

I claim as my invention:

In air duct construction, a housing-plate, a second housing-plate below and of lesser width than the width of the first named housing-plate, a. pair of housing-strips each provided at its upper edge with an outwardly projecting loop for receiving an edge-portion of the first named housing-p1ate and provided with an inwardly projecting loop for receiving an edge-portion of said housingplate of lesser width, said duct including in plan, a plurality of connected, rectilinear sections disposed at obtuse angles relative to each other.

ANDREW M. MILHON E. 

